National Leagues 376
The Woes of the Center Continues As Barcelona Lassa Dismantles Real Madrid
When games are played on the field or courts, people who do not understand, believe that skills alone are the determinants of the outcome. The real truth is that those are not the only determinants of the outcome of games. When a team believes they have a statement to make, when a group of people […]
Dejan and Kaloyan Ivanov – The Bulgarian Twin Towers
Nicolò Origgi looks at two Bulgarian brothers who are late bloomers as dominant big twins in Europe. Dejan and Kaloyan Ivanov have been knocking around a while but, as they hit their 30s, the twins are looking like new forces altogether According to genetics, twin brothers are a rarity in itself. The chances of them […]
Mitchell Watt – High Wattage
Nicolò Origgi delivers another gem of a player profile here as he looks at a young American plying his trade with the champions of Italy who just happens to share his name with another athlete of note What can a retired long jumper and a springy basketball player have in common besides a fair share […]
Luca Vitali – Sharing (the ball) is caring
Nicolò Origgi charts the road back to relevance for the once promising Luca Vitali. The Italian guard went from prospect to punchline but has fought his way back to relevance as he looks to breathe new life into Brescia in Serie A “A basket makes one guy happy, an assist makes two guys happy” – […]
Drake & Travis Diener – Cousins in arms
With Drake and Travis Diener linking up this season, Nicolò Origgi looks at the relationship the two players have on the floor and how the cousins might be ready to deliver something special in the year ahead It was the second half of a meaningless preseason game and it had already turned into a blowout […]
Colin comes home
Broken, older, but more eager to fight than ever, Colin O’Reilly has come back to the Irish Superleague to try and restore UCC Demons as a force to be reckoned with. Last Saturday night he had to handle that the hard way against UCD Marian. Emmet Ryan on the return of the man who led […]
BallinEurope’s 10 birthday extravaganza
It’s the 10th birthday of us. Somehow we are still a thing. Being a thing is really good. With that in mind our current editor, Emmet Ryan, has called on his own memory and that of those who came before him to mark this occasion Well this was even more unexpected than you might think. […]
Ben Ortner- Carpe Diem or Nothing
When a big name arrives, someone has to pay the price. For one man on Reyer Venezia’s roster, he’s all too used to not being the go to guy but Nicolò Origgi found plenty of cause for Ben Ortner to take heart from the role he has so often played. As we bid farewell to […]
Cold blood, hot hands
With the Italian, and indeed European season as a whole, nearly over Nicolò Origgi looks at the men teams turn to when the game is on the line. Across Lega Basket, there are a few heads you know will be turned to when it’s time for that final push. They are the closers, the guys […]
The strange case of the Swiss jersey
Switzerland has a unique way of recognising the players who take all the shots and Nicolò Origgi reckons it could be fun if applied elsewhere. Here he looks at the Italian league players who deserve a jersey all of their own Even the most die-hard basketball junkies might not know that in Switzerland each team’s […]
The players demand a voice
Behind the glory, the players are revolting With the players not being quiet anymore, FIBA and Euroleague both need to work together to fix the calendar issue. Emmet Ryan on why player power, with our without a union, is greater than ever and why those who play the game are important voices in shaping its […]
Sarica’s got nothing to lose
Besiktas are looking to win the Turkish title for only the third time in the club’s history but go into their best-of-7 series with Fenerbahce as whopping underdogs against the Euroleague and reigning BSL champions. Emmet Ryan looks at what to watch in this pairing and why one man involved with the underdogs can already […]